Means for preventing pumps on automobiles from freezing.



NO. 761,774. I PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

H. LBMP. MEANS FOR PREVENTING PUMPS 0N AUTOMOBILES PROM FREEZING.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1902.

NO MODEL.

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Patented June 7', 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN LEMP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING PUMPS ON AUTOMOBILES IROM FREEZING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,774, dat d un '7, 1904. Application filed September 18, 1902. Serial N0.1Z3,84=4:. (N model.)

- To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEMP, 'a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing Pumps on Automobiles or other Apparatus from Freezing, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of automobiles during excessively cold weather trouble is experienced owing to the freezing of the water pump or pumps and also certain other parts whenever the vehicle is left standing for a considerable period of time.

The present invention has for its object to provide a means whereby the freezing of the pump or pumps or other apparatus can be prevented. For a consideration of what I consider to be novel and my invention attention is called to the description and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows one of the simple embodiments of inyinve'ntion and illustrates diagrammatically a boiler, engine, pumps, and the necessary piping for an automobile. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a part of the boiler, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the pumps.

1 represents a flash-boiler of any suitable construction; but the invention is to be construed broadly enough to include other types of boilers. The boiler-tubes are inclosed by a suitable casing 2 and are supported by tubes 3 or other equivalent devices. In addition to supporting the boiler-tubes the tubes 3, form chambers for heating water or supplying steam or hot water, or both, to the pump or pumps in a manner to keep them from freezing. In addition to this the tubes act as feedwater heaters, and all water used in the system passes through them. In other words, the tubes form a part of the regular organization and also a part of an antifreezing or heating system.

Situated below the boiler and the tube or tubes 3 is a furnace that in the present illustration takes the form of a hydrocarbonton and suction and delivery valves.

for the system. Water for the boiler and the pump protecting or antifreezing means is supplied from the tank 5, and the latter should be situated high enough to cause the water to feed by gravity. In order to afford the usual relief for the boiler when the pressure exceeds a certain predetermined point, a reliefvalve 6 is employed, which is piped to the tank 5.

Steam from the boiler is delivered to the engine 7, and its admission thereto is controlled by the throttle-valve 8. The exhaust passes from the engine to achamber 9, located at the top of the boiler, and is there used to create a forced draft.

Two water-pumps are provideda manually-actuated pump 10, used in starting, and a power-pump 11, the latter operating to supply the necessary amount of water to the boiler at all times. These pumps may with advantage be madein a single piece; but'separate structures may be employed, if desired. Each cylinder is provided with the usual pis- I have shown each pump provided with two valves; but this can be varied as desiredf0r example, by using valves that are common to both. In addition to the cylinders each pump is provided with a heating-chamber 12, and the chambers are connected together by a passage that is formed in the piece which unites the pumps, or it can be a separate piece, if desired.

Water from the tank to the pumps is supplied by the pipe 13. I have found it advantageous to make this out of rubber hose, as it is a good heat-insulator. Water from the tank is delivered, of course, to the suction side of the pumps, and a check-valve 14 is provided to prevent it from returning. The tank should be situated above the pumps and near the boiler, so as to cause a natural flow, and the water therefrom is usually slightly warmed when running, because of its location. The pumps are connected in multiple with the pipe 15, which in turn opens into the feedwater heateror chamber in the tube or support 3. Under ordinary running conditions the power-pump draws water from the tank and forces it into the chamber. The pump is driven by an eccentric on a power-shaft 16. I prefer to drive this shaft from the engine, although this is unessential to the invention.

From the boiler to the heating-chamber 12 of the pumps extends a pipe or hose 17. It is preferable to make this out of rubber hose on account of its heat-insulating properties and also on account of the ease with which it can be removed. The pipe 17 is also connected to the heating-chamber in the support 8, and at a point between the boiler and the chamber is a check-valve 18, which opens toward the boiler. This holds the pressure on the boiler when the vehicle is standing still or when no demand is made on the boiler for steam and the antifreezing or heating system is in operation. It also holds the pressure under normal running conditions. In circuit with the pipe 17 is a manually-actuated controlling-valve 19.

In order to further maintain a good flow of steam or hot water and steam for keeping the water pump or pumps warm and preventing the fluid therein from freezing, I connect a pipe 20 with the pump-heating chamber 12 in such manner that it will deliver its jet against the pump structure. The jet should be arranged to strike the valves or some part of the structure as a Whole where the heat therefrom will be communicated to the valves, as the latter are the most susceptible parts.

Fuel for the burner is held in a tank 21, which can be placed under an initial pressure by the air-pump 22. To increase the fuelpressure, a power-pump 23 is connected in the fuel system, which pump may be driven by the shaft 16 or by a separate source of power. The fuel and water pumps preferably bear a definite ratio as to their deliveries, and any suitable means can be employed to regulate theiraction. I have omitted the automatic regulators for both the fuel and water supplies in order to simplify the presentation of the invention; but it is to be understood that such regulators are used.

The action of my invention is as follows: Assuming that the system has been in operation and the vehicle is brought to a standstill, the fire Will be damped in any suitable manner-as, for example, by the hand-valve shown or other device. The valve 19 is now opened to a greater or less extent and wa ter will flow from the tank 5 through the pipe 13 and check-valve 14 to the pump. From here it flows through the suction and delivery valves of the pump or pumps to the pipe 15, thence through the heating-chamber in the support 3, where it absorbs heat, and passes into the pipe 17 to the pump-heating chamber 12. From this point the steam or water and steam is discharged against the pump structure, the fluid passing through the pumpheating chamber, and the jet acts in a. manner to prevent the fluid in the pump from freezing. I have found i actual experiem-e that the water consumption for this work need not be over one-half a gallon per hour, whieh is an inconsiderable amount. It is the most sat:- isfaetory arrangement to design the nozzle of the pipe 20 to deliver the necessary amount of wateror steam, or both, and no more. Then the operator opens the valve 19 to its full extent, no judgment being required.

I find that an antifreezing system employing water as the heating fluid is much more effective if it is provided with at least one outlet; but in the broadest aspect of my invention it is not limited thereto.

In Fig. 2 is shown the boiler-tubes resting on the supports These supports are situated far enough apart so as not to interfere with the action of the burner on the tubes, yet near enough to the flame to be well heated thereby.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the waterpumps and clearly shows the connection between them. Each cylinder is provided with a pump-heating chamber 12, formed external to the cylinder-space, and the connection between the cylinders is cored out to form a conneeting-passage. In this manner the use of separate parts is avoided, and the connectingpipe 17 and jet-pipe 20 can readily be detached when the weather ismild without interfering in any way with what may be termed the permanent parts of the organization. It is evident from the foregoing that the passage. of hot water or steam, or both, through the chamber 12 even in small quantities will prevent the water in the pumps from freezing, and the jet is an additional safeguard.

A further advantage of the construction shown resides in the fact that the pressure in the boiler can always be maintained, because the antifreezing system derives its supply of water from the tank which is heated in the chambered support 3.

In case the flow of water in the antifreezing system has not been particularly good and the water is partially congealed, due to an abnormal decrease in the supply of fuel to the burner or for any other cause, the system can be started by the manually-actuated pump It).

In accordance with the patent statutes 1 have described one form or eml)odimentofmy invention; but it is to be understood that the structure therein is only illustrative and that the invention can becarried out in other ways,

\Vhat .I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In combination, a boiler, a pump, a furnaee, and an antifreezing or heating system for thepump which is operative independent of the boiler.

2. In combination, a boiler, a water-pump, a burner for the boiler, and an anti freezing or heating system for the pump operating independently of the boiler and deriving heat directly from the burner.

3. In combination, a boiler, a burner,a waterpump having a circulation-chamber formed therein, and a connection between the chamber and the boiler which conveys hot water and steam or both as the case may be.

4:. In combination, a boiler, a burner,a waterpump having a circulation-chamber formed therein, a connection between the chamber and the boiler, a water-supply which is connected to the boiler and the chamber, and a dischargeopening for the chamber.

5. In combination,aboiler,aburner,apump, and an antifreezing' circulation system comprising a connection with a water-supply, a heater, a chamber in the pump, and a pipe which directs its discharge against the pump.

6. In combination,a boiler, a burner,a watersupply, a pump having an antifreezing-chamber, a connection between the boiler and said. source, a heater which is included in said connection, and a controllable connection extending from a point between the boiler and the.

heater to the chamber in the pump.

7. In combination,aboiler, a burner,apump for supplying water to the boiler, an antifreezing circulation system, a heater included in said system, and avalve between the boiler and the circulation system for retaining the boiler-pressure when the circulating system is in operation.

8. In combination,a boiler, apump,a burner, a heating-chamber forming a part of an antifreezing circulation system, a water-tank'situated above the chamber and connected thereto so that water will flow by gravity, a pump, a chamber formed therein, a connection between the heating-chamber and the pump-chamber, a check-valve for preventing the boiler-pressure from affecting the antifreezing circulation system, and a valve for cutting the system out of or into operation.

9. Incombination,aboiler,aburner, apump delivering water to the boiler, a heating-chamber that is permanently included in the watersupply system, an antifreezing circulating system which is connected to the chamber, and means for connecting the heating-chamber with the circulating system and preventing the boiler-pressure from affecting it.

10. In combination, a boiler, a furnace, a feed-water heater, an antifreezing circulating system, and means for operatively connecting the heater to the boiler or the circulating system.

11. In combination, aboiler, a pump, a feedwater heater, a burner that is common to the boiler and heater, a check-valve located between the boiler and the heater, an antifreezing circulating system that is connected to the heater on the pump side of the check-valve,

chamber, and a connection leading from the heater back to the circulating-chambers.

13. In combination, a flash-boiler, a burner, a water-pump, a water-tank situated above the pump, a heater situated below the working level of the tank, a connection between the pump and the heater through which the water 1 normally passes to the boiler, a connection which is piped to the heater at a point intermediate the heater and, the boiler, and means receiving heated fluid from the connection for warming the pump.

14. In combination,a boiler, afurnace therefor, means for automatically supplying water to the boiler and fuel to the furnace, and an antifreezin g circulation system which derives its heat from the furnace.

15. In combination, a boiler, a furnace there-,

for, means for automatically supplying water to the boiler and fuel to the furnace, an antifreezing circulation system which derives its heat from the furnace and is normally out of service, and a manually-actuated device for connecting and disconnecting the circulation system.

16. In combination, a boiler, awater-supply system therefor, a pump included in the same, and an antifreezing or heating system for the pump adapted during operation to cause a flow of water substantially through the entire water system.

17. In combination, a boiler, a water-supply system therefor, a pump included in the same, a burner for heating the boiler, an antifreezing system for the pump, and a heater included in the latter system, said antifreezing system deriving water from the water-supply system and causing a flow of water substantially through the entire water system during relative inactivity thereof as to the boiler-supply.

18. In combination, a boiler, a water-supply system therefor, a pump included in the same, a burner for the boiler, a water-heater arranged in the water system in cooperative relation to the burner, means controlling the supply of water to the boiler from the heater, and a connection between the heater and pump whereby the water may be caused to flow through the system independently of the operative condition of the system relative to the boiler for heating the pump.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of September, 1902.

HERMANN LEMP.

Witnesses:

DUGALD MoK. MoKILLor, J GEN J. WALKER. 

